Specialist insurers

There are, though, a number of specialist companies who operate in this area and they claim to offer a more individual-based service. In this way, they argue, they can avoid the high premiums charged by some companies.

ProSport Insurance Services, Park Insurance, and Adrian Flux are amongst the companies who offer tailored policies for those who earn their living in sport.

Telematics policies for sports professionals

If you feel that you're a good, safe driver who's unfairly penalised because of the wider reputation of sports professionals in the car insurance world, a telematics or 'black box' policy may be worth considering. If you choose this the price you pay for cover will be directly related to how well or badly you drive your vehicle.

If you use our car insurance comparison service, on your results page you'll see telematics results labelled and listed alongside more traditional policies, giving you the opportunity to compare and contrast the options available.

Factors that drive up sports people's premiums

Gerry Bucke, general manager at Adrian Flux, says that in addition to the concerns over personal injury payouts there are three other factors that tend to make it difficult for sports people to avoid sky-high premiums, or sometimes even to find any willing insurer.

Firstly, there's the prospect of the sportsman or sportswoman carrying fellow sports professionals as passengers.

"Imagine a vehicle containing three or four well-paid Premier League footballers involved in a serious accident," says Gerry Bucke.

Thirdly, some insurers consider there is a greater than normal risk of the cars of sports people being vandalised. In the case of professional footballers, this could be damage caused by opposing fans, or even home fans disgruntled with a player's performance.

Just how much extra a professional footballer may be expected to pay for the privilege of his job can be illustrated by a simple comparison.

Adrian Flux say that a rough costing for a 22-year-old living in Manchester - with no accidents or convictions and four years no claims bonus - insuring a Range Rover Sport with comprehensive cover, would be around £750, with £500 excess if they were employed as a computer games developer.[1]

I do find it quite hard to get insurance, and as soon as you say you're an international rugby player then it rocketsLiam Williams, Wales and Scarlets

The same person, insuring the same car on the same basis, would pay £1,750, with £600 excess, if they were a professional footballer.[1]

"It's easy to understand why the more high-profile sports people, like high-level professional footballers, have trouble finding insurance," said Bucke.

"It's less easy to understand for those further down the ladder of fame in other sports, but mainstream insurers will often not have the expertise to differentiate between the different sports and different levels of risk.

"That's where specialist brokers like Adrian Flux come in. Not only do we have schemes suitable for the more high-profile sportspeople, but we are able to assess each risk on its merits for all types of sport and provide an accurately calculated premium based on each customer's individual circumstances, rather than just lumping all professional sportspeople into the same risk group."

Case study: Liam Williams

Professional rugby player Liam Williams† is a long way from the footballing jet set of Rooney and the other Premier League high-rollers.

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When this guide was researched in April 2014 he was a 23-year-old playing for Wales and the Scarlets, a regional team based in Llanelli, and had found that his insurance premiums had risen sharply since he became a full international player.

At that time Williams paid £2,500 to insure his Mercedes ML, although his club offered a group policy on certain vehicles which worked out at £106 a month.[2]

He admitted: "My mum used to sort out my car insurance, but you can't do that forever.

"I made a claim when I was 18 so maybe that's why it's gone through the roof. But I do find it quite hard to get insurance, and as soon as you say you're an international rugby player then it rockets."

Does the type of sport influence car insurance premiums?

Professional sportswomen can no longer expect to pay lower premiums based purely on their gender as an ECJ ruling has made that illegal, but Bucke says the nature of some sports should mean costs are far less than the perceived risks of insuring Rooney or Lewis Hamilton.

"The gender no longer makes any difference these days - insurers are no longer allowed to use gender as a risk factor when calculating premiums," said Bucke.

"So, generally, the lower profile the sport - and whether it's team or individual - will make a difference to the premium, and lower-profile sports like triathlon or archery would be likely to be rated more in line with a normal, day-to-day occupation."

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